Younie to coach SANFL Crows

Younie named Crows SANFL coach
Heath Younie has been appointed as the inaugural coach of Adelaide's State League team to play in the SANFL in 2014

Adelaide has appointed Heath Younie as the first coach of its new State League team.

Younie, a former SANFL star with North Adelaide who played football in three States, will take the reins of the Crows’ side in the SANFL for the 2014 season after one year with Adelaide’s development coaching team.

“I'm super excited, it's a unique opportunity given it's the first time that the Club has had a State League side,” Younie said.

“There will be massive challenges with the role, but I'm certainly looking forward to them.”

Crows senior coach Brenton Sanderson said Younie was the ideal inaugural coach of the State League side.

“It’s an important role for the Adelaide Football Club and Heath’s background will be invaluable for us as we establish the new State League team,” Sanderson said.

“We discussed and considered a number of people from outside the Club but in the end we opted to have someone who was already here.

"Heath understands our program, knows our structures and systems and can coach the way we want to play.

“Heath will also be coaching players travelling the same path he once took. He has wide experience as a player and development coach, at State league and AFL level. He also understands the value of the SANFL as a competition and will be provided first-class support from the rest of the Crows development team.

“This team is going to be really important for the Club’s future success and one of the main benefits will be having all our development coaches focused on our players.”

Younie, 34, is from Wodonga in country Victoria and played under-18 football for the Murray Bushrangers.

He was drafted as a rookie by West Coast in 1997 and spent two years in the WAFL but did not get an opportunity to play at AFL level.

Younie then went home to Wodonga and also served as a “top-up” player for North Melbourne’s affiliate VFL side.

He was recruited by North Adelaide in 2001 and played 183 games and won two Club Champion awards. A qualified teacher, he retired at the end of the 2010 season and took on the role as North’s under-18 coach for the next two seasons before joining the Crows late last year.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs